The prior art, as shown by U.S Pat. No. 3,354,675 to Quigg, has provided for a cable lock incorporated into a ski pole and having its ends permanently attached between separable pole portions. A coaxial combination lock selectively permits the handle portion of the pole to be removed so that the midsection of the cable can be wrapped around the poles and skis, after which the handle is reassembled and locked to the pole by the lock mechanism.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,297,333 to Schwedt et al. provides for a ski pole having a wrist strap with one releasable end and one permanently attached end. An end mounted combination lock on the pole handle allows release and relocking of the releasable end, permitting the wrist strap to serve as a shackle to be wrapped about the remaining equipment.
Another ski pole mounted lock is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,715 to Aylesworth. A cable is permanently mounted by one end within the pole, while the opposite, free end can be freely extended and wrapped around ski equipment. The free end then is engaged between telescoping jaws on the pole, which are controlled by a lock carried coaxially on the pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,335,585 to Stratton discloses another ski pole lock in which the cable has an enlarged end that is retained within the pole. The second, free end carries a keeper and can be withdrawn through the pole's handle and engaged about ski equipment. Thereafter, the keeper on the second end is inserted into a lock carried in the handle and secured.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,904 to Brimhall, II, is similar to Stratton, with the additional feature that one ski pole may carry the captive end of the cable, while the second ski pole may carry a lock that receives the keeper on the free end of the cable when the cable is engaged about ski equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,472 to Struble, Jr. discloses the use of a hollow ski pole for storage of a cable and cylindrical lock. A cap on the pole's handle covers the storage passage and can be opened to permit the lock and cable to be withdrawn. Otherwise, the cable lock is capable of forming a locked loop around the ski equipment when the lower end of the cable is inserted into the top of the lock. It is proposed that the lower end of the cable be elastically fastened to the bottom of the pole cavity by a retention bungee. Otherwise, it appears that this lock mechanism is not secured within the pole, but merely is housed inside.
From the state of the prior art, it can be seen that cable locks have been incorporated into equipment that stores some or all of the cable and lock, but with considerable structural alteration and compromise to the equipment. For this reason, concealed, stored cable locks are not readily available, unless a manufacturer choses to incorporate such a lock as part of the original equipment design.
Another problem is that if the coaxial lock in many of the above designs were to fail, the cable cannot be removed or used. In other designs, even if the cable can be reached, the ski pole or other host item no longer can function as a lock.
So as to eliminate the need for special adaptation, it would be desirable to create a cable lock that is storable in tubular equipment of many types, without degrading the structural integrity of the equipment.
Further, it would be desirable to create a cable lock that is positively, mechanically engaged within the tubular equipment while the cable is in storage, yet is released without having to manipulate the lock by dialing the combination or using a key.
Likewise, it would be desirable to have a portable lock that can be inserted into and mechanically engaged with a carrying tube without manipulation of the lock.
Still further, it would be desirable to create a storable, mechanically secured, portable lock that, upon failure of the locking mechanism, remains removeable from its secure storage position.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the concealed, storable lock of this invention may comprise the following.